Even the humblest of small-town pubs can be a magnet for dreamers. In the 1970s, Michael, after a ten-year absence, suddenly returns from New York to County Galway from in the west of Ireland and reunites with friends at his old haunt, the White House pub. Over pints, stories, and laughs, he and his old friends come to realize that the years have brought none of them the lives they sought.

Conversations on a Homecoming is Murphy’s masterful exploration of the boundary between comedy and tragedy, a trenchant but ultimately uplifting work whose greatest eloquence is in what is left unsaid. In 1985, Garry Hynes directed its world premiere.

Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College

This performance is approximately one hour and 55 minutes, with no intermission.